Fender for street-cars



(No Model.)

W. N. TAGGART. FENDER FOR STREET CARS.

No. 540,120. PatentedMay 28, 1895.

UNrTED STATES PATENT nron.

WILLIAM N. TAQGART, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENDER FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingipart of Letters Patent No. 540,120, dated May 28,1895.

Application filed January 5, 1895. Serial K115335890. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N. TAGGART, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Fenders for Street- Oars, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of car fenders which project in frontof the car and are adapted to catch and carrya person standing upon thetrack in front of the car, the object of my invention being to soconstruct such a fender that while it will readily clear slightobstructions such as projecting paving blocks and thelike, no largeobject can pass beneath the same, but will be caught and thrown onto anet or apron yieldingly mounted upon the fixed projecting frame of thefender.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view, partly inelevation, of sufficient of a street-car to illustrate my improvedfender. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing the movable portion ofthe fender in different positions, and Fig. 4 is a plan or top view ofthe fender detached from the car.

A represents part of the sills or floor framing of the car projecting asusual to support the front platform and secured to this projectingportion of the car sill or framing is the fender structure whichconsists of a pair of arms B rigidly secured at their rear ends to saidsill or framing and projecting forwardly and downwardly therefrom.

The forward ends of the arms B carry a frame D pivoted to the arms at apoint by preference about the center of the frame, said frame having anet work or apron a of wire cloth, or other available material whichextends some distance rearwardly beyond the frame and is connected to anapron b of canvas or other fabric wound upon a roller F which is mountedin suitable bearings on the arms B and is acted upon by a spring orsprings d, tending to rotate it in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 1.

A person standing or lying upon the track in front of an advancing carwill be struck by the projecting forward end of the frame D which isnormally maintained at such a distance above the level of the track andpaving as not to strike any slightly projecting obstruction, such as amisplaced paving block or the like, but as soon as a larger body strikesthe front end of the frame the latter is depressed, as shown in Fig. 2,so as to prevent an arm or leg from passing beneath the same, the bodybeing caused to roll upward on the frame, as shown in Fig. 3, or in thecase of a standing person, being thrown backward onto the frame so as tobe caught on the net or apron a, the roller F yielding so as to permiteither the swinging of the frame as shown in Fig. 2, or movement to theposition shown in Fig. 3, and, in the latter case, providing an elasticsupport for the body. To assist the roller F in supporting the frame Din the position shown in Fig. 3, springs '5 extend from the rear portionof said frame to the arms B, these springs being subjected to tensionwhen the rear portion of the frame D moves downwardly.

In order to prevent injury to the head or other portion of the personsuch as would be caused by striking the front dasher or frame of thecar, I provide each of the arms B with a projection m and stretch fromone to the other of these projections a strip f of rubber, canvas, orother material, which will constitute a cushion to prevent contact ofthe head or other portion of the body with any rigid or unyieldingportion of the front of the car structure.

A central bar 9 extending from one of the side arms B tothe other servesto arrest downward movement of the inner end of the frame D when theparts assume the position shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. A car fender consisting of rigid bars pro.- jecting infront of the car, afrarne pivoted thereto and provided with an apron,and a spring actuated roller mounted on the fixed bars, and connected tosaid apron, so as to keep the same constantly under tension, but permityielding of the same when subjected to pressure, substantially asspecified.

2. A car fender consisting of rigid bars projecting in front of the car,a pivoted frame mounted thereon and having an apron, a spring actuatedroller connected to said apron and serving to impart tension thereto,but permit yielding thereof, and a stop bar for arresting the downwardmovement of the inner end of th e 'pivoted rame, substantially asspecified.

3. A car fender consisting of rigid bars projecting in front of the car,a pivoted frame mounted thereon and having an apron, a

spring actuated roller connected-tosaidapron, i

and a spring connection between the rear portion of the pivoted frameand the fixed bars 7 substantially as specified.

4. A car fender consisting of rigid bars projecting in front of the car,a pivoted frame mounted thereon and having an apron, a spring actuatedroller connectedto said apron WILLIAM N. TAGGART. Witnesses:

H. F. REARDON, WILL. A. BARR.

